Page 19 of Until the Ink Dries

“Hell yeah. Thanks. All we got left is a little shading, and I wanted to add a little color to the eyes. But other than that, we’re on our way.”

I told him just as my phone vibrated against the counter. I rolled over in my chair and pulled my gloves off. I checked to make sure it wasn’t my parents and noticed it was just Jordan. I kissed my teeth and answered but placed it on speaker before grabbing a new pair of gloves, then rolling back over to my client.

“You on speaker, I’m tattooing. What’s up, man?”

“I’m coming through. I just made it into town. Do you have more appointments today?” he asked.

“Nah, this is my last one for the day. I planned to go pick up Charlie after this, but my parents aren’t in any rush. Come through, I haven’t put eyes on you in a minute.” I told him.

“Aight,” he responded, then ended the call.

I turned my music back up and then continued to finish the tattoo. Thirty minutes passed, and I was finally finished. I took my pictures and allowed my client to look in the mirror behind him, while I cleaned my space and tossed the needle I used on his tattoo.

“Damn, you killed this shit. I need to come back to get my sleeve finished. How is your schedule next week?” he asked.

Once I tossed my gloves and the million paper towels I used during the session, I wrapped his arm up and gave him the care instructions. I pulled my pants up and nodded towards the door.

“Meet me out front and I’ll look.”

He rubbed his hands together and glanced in the mirror once more at his tattoo before following me to the front just as Jordan was walking through the door. Dude’s eyes widened at the sight of him.

“Oh shit! You’re Jordan Smith. I heard you were from here, but I have never seen you. Man, you dope as fuck on the court!”

Jordan smiled and dapped him up, then gripped his chest.

“I appreciate that! Nice to meet you.”

Jordan was always the most social out of us. You would think the fame would make him chill out on how he treated no one he met as a stranger. But, the man was exactly the same. It was one of the reasons we were more like brothers than friends.

I shook my head and continued to look through my computer to find my appointments for the next week. They continued to talk about Jordan’s stats until I gave him the information on my next availability.

“You cool with Wednesday?” I asked.

“Yeah, that works for me. I’m paying cash for this session.”

I watched as he reached into his pocket to pull out $750. He had all hundreds outside of the fifty-dollar bill. So, I used my marking tool to make sure they were real, then slipped them into my pocket. I made a receipt for him then walked him out. But, not before he got a picture with Jordan.

“Aye, don’t tell nobody this man over here.” I told him before he left.

“I got you,” he responded.

Soon as he left, I turned to face him, and he was smiling big as fuck. I wanted to be annoyed, but this was my brother. I shook my head as I walked over to him to dap him up and give him a hug.

“I would ask you what brought you back to Rose Haven, but you're hell bent on going to that damn class reunion. You know, like I do, folks are going to be in your face heavy.” I told him.

I walked around the counter to mark my session completed and make sure I scheduled the appointment for Wednesday. He followed behind me and grabbed a few pieces of candy from the jar on the countertop.

“I ain’t worried about it. You are worried about the wrong shit. You need to be there, too. It’s not like you got other plans than watching kid movies with my niece. Tell me I’m lying.”

He craned his head to the side as he dug into the candy jar again to take a few more pieces out. I snatched the jar from the counter and put it away.

“I know damn well yo’ ass can afford your own candy. Don’t get happy and shit. To answer your question, me and my baby do more than watch kid movies. We color and shit, tea parties, we busy folks, if you didn’t know.”

Jordan laughed.

“Yeah, right.” He waved me off.

“Willow was on this same thing earlier?—”

---